Fire-escape.



No.86Z689. PATENTED 0CT.8,190T J VVBNIG FIRE'ESGAPE.

APPLICATION FILED rBB.1a.19om

INVENTOR UNITED STATES JOHN WENIG, OF MOUNT PLEASANT, MICHIGAN.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1907.

Application filed February 18, 1907. Serial No. 353,093.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN WENIG, a citizen of the United States, residingat Mount Pleasant, in the county of Isabella and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire- Escapes; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

, This invention is an improvement in fire escapes and relates moreparticularly to that class of fire escapes in which a tube of flexiblefire-proof material, as asbestos or other suitable material, is securedto the building at its upper end and suitably held at its lower end, soas to form an inclined or curved chute, through which persons maydescend from the building to the street.

My improved construction comprises a chute of woven asbestos or similarfire-proof material secured to the building and operating in the mannerabove noted.

My invention consists of novel means for strengthening the chute toprevent persons from falling through holes or rips accidentally cut inits length, for fastening and sustaining the upper end of the chute, andalso for providing exit openings intermediate the ends of the chute toenable a ten-story chute to be applied to a six-story building, forinstance.

With these objects in view, together with certain others, which willappear later in the specification, one form of my invention is embodiedin the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and theequivalents thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a part sectional view of a building showingthe chute attached. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the means forattaching the upper end of the chute to the building. Fig. 3 is a detailperspective view of the lower end of the chute showing an intermediateexit opening, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail in cross section of thebottom or inner face of the chute.

As is clearly shown in the drawings, the device consists essentially inthe chute (1) of wovenasbestos or equivalent material suitablyfire-proofed in any convenient manner, the chute being provided at itsupper end with a solid U-shaped frame (2) of metal or equivalentmaterial, the arms of which frame, when in use, rest upon the windowsill and project inside the building, the inner ends of the frame beinghooked, as shown at (2) and apertured to receive a rod (2 which rod alsopasses through a series of eyes (23) secured beneath the window sillwithin the room, as shown. The outer end of the frame is bent slightlyupward to. facilitate the entrance of persons into the chute, the upperends of the sides and front face of the chute being secured to theUshaped frame in any suitable manner. Pivotally secured at their upperends to the window casing are the links (2 their lower free ends beingconveniently hooked to removably engage the outer end of the U-shapedframe to assist in its support, if necessary.

The entire chute .is formed, preferably of asbestos suitably woven, theinner face or bottom of the chute having asbestosropes (1") (1)interwoven with the material to impart additional strength thereto,metal wires being interlaced with'the ropes which latter are spacedapart from each other, say from two to four inches. In this manner thatface of the chute which must sustain the greatest weight and most wearis so strengthened that it is practically impossible to accidentally ripor tear it.

Even if the material should be ripped, the net-work of ropes willprevent the rip from spreading and letting persons through, and willretain the chute intact. The upper ends of the ropes may protrude fromthe upper end of the under face of the chute and form the loops (13)through which the rod (2 is threaded. Thus it will be seen that theframe (2) does not have to support the entire weight of the chute and byreason of the loops and rod, the chute can withstand an enormous pullingstrain, the upper edge of the under face of the chute passing over thewindow sill to enable the use of short loops. Nuts (14') prevent thedisengagement of the rod from the loops and the hooked inner ends of theframe, which are journaled on the rod, leaving the opening of-the chuteat its upper end in position to receive the person to be passed to thestreet below. It is plain that eyelets or grummets may be used in placeof the loops, if desired.

On the outer face of the chute, I formexitopenings (5) (5) protected bymeans of the extensions (5) (5) depending below the opening and insidethe chute.

The openings may be closed by any convenient means, as the hooks (5),for instance. The object of these exit openings is to permit a longchute to be applied to a low building. Obviously, if the chute waslonger than the height of the building, the persons descending wouldstrike the ground with a thud, or if the end of the chute were held up,such persons would have to crawl to the lower open end of the chute, butby providing these openings, they can emerge from a long chute withoutcrawling to the extreme end thereof.

I prefer in practice to provide any desired number of openings on theouter face of the chute.

When the chute is not in use, the frame at the upper end, is swung backthrough the window on the rod (2 until its outer end lies on the fioorof the room, and after which the chute is folded upon the frame. It isthen only necessary, in case of emergency, to throw the chute out of thewindow, swing the frame out and fasten the links (2 in place, if thelatter are used. The lower end of the chute is seized by persons in thestreet spirit and scope of my invention, and I have merely illustratedone of the many embodiments which my invention may assume. Consequently,I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction herein setforth.

Having thus fully disclosed my nvention, What I claim as new is 1. Afire escape comprising a flexible chute, an approximately U-shapedframe, to which the upper edges of the outer and side faces of the chuteare secured, the arms of the frame being bent, hooks formed on the innerends of the arms, the frame adapted to rest on a window sill with thehooked ends depending inside, strengthening ropes extendinglongitudinally of the under face of the chute, the upper ends of theropes terminating in loops protruding from the upper edge of the innerface of the chute, a rod engaging the hooks of the arms and threadedthrough the loops and eyes through which the rod passes, to retain thechute in position.

2. A fire escape comprising a flexible chute, anapproxima'tely'll'shaped frame, to which the upper edges of the outerface and sides of the chute are secured, the free ends of the U-shapedframe resting upon the window sill, hooks formed on the free ends of theframe and depending within the building, the ends of the hooks beingapertured, a rod secured within the building, the hooks journaled on thered, the upper edge of the inner face of the chute being supported bythe rod.

3. A fire escape comprising a flexible chute, a substan tially Ushapedframe open at one end, the upper edges of the outer face and sides ofthe chute secured to the frame, a rod secured within the building, theinner endsof the frame journaled on the red, the upper end of the innerface of the chute extending between the arms of the frame into thebuilding and there secured.

4. A fire escape comprising a flexible chute, an approximately U-shapedframe, to which the upper edges of the outer face and sides of the chuteare secured, a rod secured to the building, the inner ends of: the framebeing jour naled on the rod, the upper edge of the inner face of thechute extending over the window sill into the building and being securedto the rod.

5. A fire escape comprising a chute, a frame to which the upper edges ofthe outer face and sides of the chute are secured, a rod secured to thebuilding, the inner ends of the frame being journaled on the rod, theupper end of the, inner face of the chute extending over the window sillinto the building, longitudinally extending strengthening ropes embeddedin the inner face of the chute, the upper ends of the ropes projectingbeyond the upper end of the inner face of the chute and formed intoloops, the rod passing through the loops.

6. A fire escape comprising a flexible chute. an approximately Ll-shapedframe, the upper edges of the outer face and sides of the chute beingsecured to the frame. the outer end of the frame being bent upwardly,the inner ends of the arms of the frame resting on the window sill, anda rod secured within the building, the inner free ends of the armsbeingjournalcd on the red, the upper edge of the inner surface of thechute being connected to the rod.

7. A fire escape comprising a chute. a substantially U- shaped frame towhich the upper edges of the chute are secured, a rod secured within thebuilding, the inner ends of the frame extending within the building andjournaled on the rod, and longitudinally extending strengthening ropesembedded in the chute.

S. A fire escape comprising a flexible chute, an approximately U-shapedframe to which the uppcr edges of the outer face and sides of the chuteare secured. a suitably supported rod, the inner ends of the frame beingjournaled on the rod, pivotally secured braces, and hooks on the freeends of the braces adapted to removably engage the outer overhanging endof the frame.

1). A fire escape comprising a chute, a substantially U- shaped frame towhich the upper edges of the chute are secured, and a rod secured withinthe building, the inner ends of the frame extending within the buildingand journaled on the rod.

In testimony whereof, I aihx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses:

RALPH S. \VAIIFIELD, A. A. EASTERLY.

